diff --git a/libs/blocks/recommended-articles/recommended-articles.js b/libs/blocks/recommended-articles/recommended-articles.js
index 56a4bbf809..567441cc4e 100644
--- a/libs/blocks/recommended-articles/recommended-articles.js
+++ b/libs/blocks/recommended-articles/recommended-articles.js
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@ async function getArticleDetails(article) {
   const ending = trimEndings.find((el) => title.endsWith(el));
   [title] = title.split(ending);
 
+  const category = getMetadata('category', doc) || getMetadata('article:tag', doc);
+
   return {
     title,
     path,
-    category: getMetadata('article:tag', doc),
+    category,
     description: getMetadata('description', doc),
     imageEl: doc.querySelector('picture'),
     date: getMetadata('publication-date', doc),
diff --git a/libs/scripts/taxonomy.js b/libs/scripts/taxonomy.js
index 9dd68a22bd..91ed89bd6f 100644
--- a/libs/scripts/taxonomy.js
+++ b/libs/scripts/taxonomy.js
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ function parseTaxonomyJson(data, root, route) {
       : (level2 ? LEVEL_INDEX.level2
         : LEVEL_INDEX.level1);
 
-    const name = level3 || level2 || level1;
+    const name = (level3 || level2 || level1)?.toLowerCase();
     const category = row[TAXONOMY_FIELDS.type]?.trim().toLowerCase() || INTERNALS;
 
     // skip duplicates
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ export default async (config, route, target) => {
 
         get(topic, cat) {
           // take first one of the list
-          const item = findItem(topic, cat, taxonomy);
+          const item = findItem(topic?.toLowerCase(), cat?.toLowerCase(), taxonomy);
 
           if (!item) { return null; }